Nativity CAL – Crochet Manger

Welcome to Day 3! You can find Mary and Joseph here. Today we will be making the manger, which baby Jesus will lie in when you have finished Him tomorrow. When I was brainstorming ideas, I thought of the traditional shape that many nativity sets have. However, when I researched what a manger looked like, I was surprised to find it was usually made from a large, rectangular rock, with a large groove chipped out from the top. It was very interesting. So, this crochet manger is easy to make, but also rather historically accurate.

Manger

(approx. 3” long, 1” high, 2” deep.)

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Bottom:
Ch 15. (ch 1 does NOT count)
1. Ch 1. Sc in 2nd ch from hook. Sc 13. Turn. (14 sts)
2. – 10. Ch 1. Sc in same st. Sc 13. Turn. (14 sts)
11. Turn 90 degrees clockwise. Sc 2 more in same st (for a total of 3). Sc 8 down your raw edge. Sc 3 in last st (making a corner). Sc 12. Sc 3 in last st. Sc 9 down raw edge. Join with 1st st of the other side. (you will be leaving the top side unworked). (37 sts)
12. Sl st in each st around. ( 51 sts)

13. Turn and work backwards around, working into the sl sts.

Ch 1. Sc in each st around the square (working through the slip stitches). Join. (51 sts)
14. – 18. Ch 1. Sc in each st. Join with a sl st. (51 sts)
Break yarn.

Top:
Ch 15. (ch 1 does NOT count)
1. Ch 1. Sc in 2nd ch from hook. Sc 13. Turn. (14 sts)
2. – 10. Ch 1. Sc in same st. Sc 13. Turn. (14 sts)
11. Turn 90 degrees clockwise. Sc 2 more in same st (for a total of 3). Sc 8 down your raw edge. Sc 3 in last st (making a corner). Sc 12. Sc 3 in last st. Sc 9 down raw edge. Join with 1st st of the other side. (you will be leaving the top side unworked). (37 sts)
12. Sl st in each st around. ( 51 sts)
13. Turn and work backwards around, working into the sl sts.
Ch 1. Sc in each st around the square (working through the slip stitches). Join. (51 sts)
14. Ch 1. Sc in each st. Join with a sl st. (51 sts)
Don’t break yarn.

Lay shorter piece on top/inside of the taller piece. Line them up so the tops are even. Grab the loop from smaller part and put it on your hook. Pull the loop through the loops on the larger piece. Sl st all around the top, going through both loops on short piece, and both loops on tall piece. Leave a few stitches unworked, and pause to stuff it. Be sure to UNDER stuff it, so it will keep it’s shape.

Comments

I’m not understanding the manger at all the pics show like two different pieces yet the directions are the same? I don’t understand the leave the top side unworked? I’m sure it’s easy but I’ve ripped it out twice and have a mental block now. Can anyone help? Thanks so much

yes, the top and the bottom are almost the same, the top is just shorter than the bottom, like two dishes stacked on each other. “Leaving the top unworked” refers to when you are working a row of sc around three sides of the rectangle: the short raw edge, the bottom and the second short raw edge, finish there and leave the top unworked, you don’t need to do the top because it already has a pretty edge.

I got it! Thanks so much Bethany. I have the set done but the tree. On row 5 of the tree it says work in 3rd loop ( loop behind the 2 loops on top) do you mean work in back loop? So sorry for all the questions but want this to be perfect. Thanks again for the pattern and all you help!

Hi Bethany, thank you so much for sharing these beautiful patterns! Just to clarify, what does your finished manger measure please? I am using what I think is 4-ply for the manger but I’m not 100% sure and I don’t want it to swamp the figures (which I’m making with yarn that’s definitely 4 ply). Thanks!

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